


Chicken Noodle Soup

by worm_blooded



Series: Strange Encounters [4]
Category: Doctor Strange (2016), Merlin (TV)
Genre: Marvel - Freeform, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-31
Updated: 2020-05-31
Packaged: 2021-03-03 04:48:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,173
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24465241
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/worm_blooded/pseuds/worm_blooded
Summary: Stephen gets a visit from an old friend.
Series: Strange Encounters [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1431001
Comments: 1
Kudos: 9





	Chicken Noodle Soup

Struggling to balance the pair of paper grocery bags wedged in his arms, Stephen wrestled to conjure the seal that unlocks the sanctum’s main door. It would be so much simpler if they just had a locksmith install an actual lock, he thought.

Walking into the kitchen he came upon Wong and Merlin chatting happily over a cup of tea.

“Hello Stephen!” Wong said turning towards the doorway, “Merlin was just telling me about this time he and his old friend Arthur had to—oh, it’s a long story but I’m sure he’d be happy to retell it.”

“Well, I’m glad you two are having a good time,” said Stephen while depositing the bags on the counter. One fell over and spilled a couple of oranges.

“I, on the other hand, had the worst day,” he continued.

“Oh? What happened?” asked Wong.

“… I don’t want to talk about it,” grumbled Stephen and shuffled out of the kitchen.

Wong glanced at Merlin and smiled.

“Such a drama queen,” he said, and took a sip of his tea, noting the groceries that had been neglected to be put away.

~

Stephen shuffled on down the hallway and out the door again. He plopped himself down on the stoop and stared out into the waning light. He could just make out a figure on the sidewalk walking towards him. As it approached and came into focus, Stephen smiled.

“Christine, what brings you around?”

She stuck out her arm, shaking a paper bag clutched in her hand.

“I brought you something, heard you weren’t feeling well.”

Stephen groaned.

“Word got around? We aren’t even on the same floor—oh god,” he buried his head in his hands.

“Yeah… Billy told me. Said the washroom stank up the whole floor,” she said, stifling a giggle.

Stephen’s head sank further.

“It wasn’t my fault—there were these apples and—well, it was kinda my fault but…”

“Hey, hey, it’s okay, I’m just teasing. Here, it’s chicken noodle,” she said, handing him the bag.

Stephen took it and patted the stone step beside him. Christine sat down.

“I also wanted to catch up, it’s been a while.”

Stephen nodded.

“Yeah, I missed you. Nothing much has been happening around the sanctum.”

“That’s hard to believe, I thought with all this magic stuff you’d always be busy.”

“One would think. Well, things have started to pick up lately, but there was a time before where Wong and I thought we’d go crazy with boredom. We do have a new friend staying with us, Merlin, you know--”

“--the wizard? The actual Merlin wizard?”

“Yeah--”

“--Like, round table? Sword-in-the-stone? All that?”

“Yeah.”

“Huh, no kidding.”

The pair stared out at the skyline, the darkness obscuring where buildings ended and sky began. A chill breeze touched their faces and tousled their hair. Stephen put an arm around Christine and she rested her head on his shoulder.

“How are you doing after all that, you know, that… apocalypse... stuff,” she said in a tired, drawn out voice.

“I mean, I didn’t have to live through it, I was one of those that was, um, dusted.”

Christine nodded slightly.

“Yeah but, you were front and center, weren’t you?”

“I was, yes,” said Stephen after a pause, “yeah, I helped.”

Stephen’s body sagged. He wasn’t ready to face all that had happened. Not even after all this time, not yet.

“I really missed you.”

“I missed you too,” said Christine.

They sat like that until their bones chilled and they started to shiver. It was an unusually chilly summer evening.

“Before I head off, can I use your bathroom real quick?” said Christine, breaking the hypnotic hum of traffic.

The pair ducked behind the sanctum door into the comforting pillow of heat trapped during the day by the old stone architecture. After showing her the right door to the bathroom, Stephen headed for the kitchen to pop his soup into the microwave. He opened the door this time to find an extra body at the table.

“Hello again. Look who I found snooping around the library,” said Wong.

“Hi Stephen, I brought you some more of those inter-dimensional apples,” said Clea, gesturing towards the kitchen counter where they sat in a bowl, “I’m sure you’d be eager to hear what my parents’ verdict is.”

Surrounding her, Wong and Merlin had clearly continued their teatime merriment, this time with the addition of the biscuits Stephen had brought home. The table space in front of Clea was empty.

“Seems like she can come anytime she pleases now, why’s that, Stephen?” Wong asked.

Stephen ignored him.

“Thank you, Clea. So they’ve allowed you to take the apprenticeship?”

“Indeed! They think it’s a lovely idea.”

“Great! I’ve been thinking about what we can do, still have to iron out a few wrinkles.”

The door to the kitchen creaked slightly and Christine’s face popped out from behind it.

“Hey! I just came to say bye, hope I’m not interrupting anything.”

“Not at all. Christine, this here is Merlin,” said Stephen gesturing towards him, “and this is Clea, my new apprentice.”

Christine’s face lit up.

“So nice to meet you! The both of you—Merlin, I’ve heard a lot about you and not just from Stephen. And Clea, it’s a pleasure. I have to head home, but I hope to see you—the both of you—again some time.”

Christine blushed and disappeared behind the door.

“Thanks again for the soup!” called out Stephen.

The click of the front door though told that she had already left.

“Huh, that was odd. Nice girl,” said Merlin.

Clea smiled.

~

“We don’t really have a guest room, which is odd considering the scale of this sanctum, but I’d be happy to let you sleep in my bed. I’ll set something up for myself in the library, I’m pretty sure Wong has a cot stashed away somewhere,” said Stephen while fitting a fresh pair of linens onto his bed.

“Oh, thank you Stephen, but that won’t be necessary, I won’t be needing sleep,” replied Clea.

Stephen paused his bed-spreading.

“Wait, seriously? Actually, I don’t know why that’s surprises me. What will you do during the nighttime though?”

“I think I’ll just spend my time in the library, might as well spend that extra time studying. Besides, I do kind of sleep, more like meditate intensely every while.”

“Great, great. Should I still set anything up for you?”

“No need,” Clea smiled.

“Alright then. I think I’ll be getting to bed,” said Stephen, and began dimming the torches on the walls.

“Oh, one more thing,” added Clea, before turning to leave, “that woman, Christine, how do you know her?”

“She’s a friend from med school. We went out for a while, but that didn’t work out. I’ve always been iffy with relationships though, and that one in particular I screwed her over with.”

Stephen puffed out his cheeks and blew out a steady stream of air. He was lucky that Christine had ever decided to speak to him again.

**Author's Note:**

> Yes Stephen is coded ace/aro in this (and will continue to be). Yes this is purely self-gratifying fic and if you have and issue with it please just don't read it. I'm just sick and tired of romantic relationships constantly trumping queerplatonic ones/the value of strong friendship in all the forms of media we consume. anyway that's my two cents and I'm not mad or anything, just wanted to explain myself.


End file.
